Schools should expose pupils to national, global issues, says Ajayi

Assistant Principal (Administration), Doregos Private Academy, Omowunmi Adebayo (left); head boy of the school, Bruce Omogbolahan; a teacher, Abayomi Akinlabi and Executive Director of St. Bernadette Educational Services, Mr. Bernardino Doregos, during the speech and prizegiving event of the school

Executive Director, Africa Leadership Forum, Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr. Olumide Ajayi has charged education managers across the country to provide the kind of teaching and learning that would give students exposure to national and global issues.

Ajayi who spoke at the 20th Speech and Prize-giving event of Doregos Private Academy, Lagos said since change agents are those who act as catalysts for a new order and a new thinking, those saddled with the responsibility of raising them should be globally-minded.

In his paper titled “Raising Change Agents to Meet Future Challenges,” he added that since we are in an interconnected world, where the word ‘global’ features in every activity, those being prepared as change agents must have global perspective to everything.

He said, “those who want to raise and those who want to become change agents must know what it entails. We have a very important task at hand, and it is to prepare our young ones for the future where they will feature. They need to be raised by those who have hindsight, insight and foresight.

The level and quality of education we give to our children, the moral values we instil in them and the examples we show them in words and deeds matters a great deal.

“Judging by the current trend of events, the kind of challenges that would confront our change agents in the nearest future would be purely global issues. Therefore, educationists and parents must have global perspective to everything they are exposing the children to even to the minutest of personal, family, corporate and national issues.”

He added that change agents should be trained to be innovators, courageous, persistent and lifelong learners, noting that when learners approach life with these mindsets, they become better individuals.

“If we are successful in our pursuit in life, our children would be inspired to pursue success, but if we allow mediocrity in our approach to life the generation to come would have nothing to build on. So our curriculum, extracurricular activities, learning environment and infrastructure must foster, encourage and build a culture of innovation and creativity.”

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Director of St. Bernadette Educational Services, Mr. Bernardino Doregos disclosed that the event was organised to celebrate students and members of staff for their successes, consistency and sustained efforts for excellence.